--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the world like it not, so much the…" description: "\"If the world like it not, so much the worse for them.\" — William Cowper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/william-cowper-779_criticism_if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-wor_280048.png" --- # If the world like it not, so much the worse for them. ![“If the world like it not, so much the worse for them.” quote by William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/william-cowper-779_criticism_if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-wor_280048.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/william-cowper-779_criticism_if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-wor_280048.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/william-cowper-779_criticism_if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-wor_280048.png) > “If the world like it not, so much the worse for them.” [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Expresses indifference to others' opinions, emphasizing personal freedom to act despite criticism. **In simple terms:** Ignore others' judgments. Key Takeaway Live true to yourself. Themes individualism freedom indifference Mood defiant independent Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - social pressure - public scrutiny - personal decisions Key Concepts Stoicism personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Do you value your own standards over others'? - How does this view affect relationships? A Different Perspective May cause isolation if misapplied. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-worse-497593/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-like/) [Worse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worse/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I put in my pictures everything I like. So much the worse for the things - they have to get along with one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/i-put-in-my-pictures-everything-i-like-so-much-the-worse-for-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Seasick," Scatty mumbled. "That's exactly what it feels like. Only worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-scott/seasick-scatty-mumbled-that-s-exactly-what-it-feels-like-only-worse/) [Michael Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-scott/) > [Break ups are hard. But being DUMPED by someone you like is worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/break-ups-are-hard-but-being-dumped-by-someone-you-like-is-worse/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Having someone who looks like us but thinks like them is worse than having no one at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/having-someone-who-looks-like-us-but-thinks-like-them-is-worse-than/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [Here I am; if you don't like me, the worse for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/here-i-am-if-you-don-t-like-me-the-worse-for-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Never think you're better than anyone else, but don't let anyone treat you like you're worse than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rip-torn/never-think-you-re-better-than-anyone-else-but-don-t-let-anyone-treat/) [Rip Torn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rip-torn/) > [The world is more like it is now then it ever has before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-world-is-more-like-it-is-now-then-it-ever-has-before/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Your criticism may be worse than the conduct you are trying to correct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/your-criticism-may-be-worse-than-the-conduct-you-are-trying-to-correct/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) > [“There was only one huge world with no back to it A world like a sun One day it broke into tiny pieces They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/there-was-only-one-huge-world-with-no-back-to-it-a-world-like-a-sun/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Theater is very much the world I'd like to get back to, particularly in New York, both as an actor and director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-alexander/theater-is-very-much-the-world-i-d-like-to-get-back-to-particularly/) [Jason Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-alexander/) > [Baby, you light up my world like nobody else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/baby-you-light-up-my-world-like-nobody-else/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sing like your on top of the World. Cry like you have never done before. And breathe like your never do it again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tania-gardana/sing-like-your-on-top-of-the-world-cry-like-you-have-never-done/) [Tania Gardana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tania-gardana/) > [When I'm in Canada, I feel this is what the world should be like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/when-i-m-in-canada-i-feel-this-is-what-the-world-should-be-like/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [“I was thinking. What if the world was like one of those Russian nesting dolls? What if we only saw one surface of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-smith/i-was-thinking-what-if-the-world-was-like-one-of-those-russian/) [Andrew Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-smith/) > [That's what the world is like: people talk as if they knew everything, but ifyou dare to ask a question, they don't know anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/that-s-what-the-world-is-like-people-talk-as-if-they-knew-everything/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) ## More by William Cowper > [And hast thou sworn on every slight pretence, Till perjuries are common as bad pence, While thousands, careless of the damning sin, Kiss the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/and-hast-thou-sworn-on-every-slight-pretence-till-perjuries-are/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [No wild enthusiast could rest, till half the world like him was possessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/no-wild-enthusiast-could-rest-till-half-the-world-like-him-was/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Admirals extolled for standing still, or doing nothing with a deal of skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/admirals-extolled-for-standing-still-or-doing-nothing-with-a-deal-of/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“The good we never miss we rarely prize”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/the-good-we-never-miss-we-rarely-prize/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Thus happiness depends, as nature shows, less on exterior things than most suppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/thus-happiness-depends-as-nature-shows-less-on-exterior-things-than/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Stamps God's own name upon a lie just made, To turn a penny in the way of trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/stamps-god-s-own-name-upon-a-lie-just-made-to-turn-a-penny-in-the-way/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [But oars alone can ne'er prevail To reach the distant coast; The breath of Heaven must swell the sail, Or all the toil is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-oars-alone-can-ne-er-prevail-to-reach-the-distant-coast-the/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“Nature is but a name for an effect whose cause is God"...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/nature-is-but-a-name-for-an-effect-whose-cause-is-god/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [But conversation, choose what theme we may, And chiefly when religion leads the way, Should flow, like waters after summer show'rs, Not as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-conversation-choose-what-theme-we-may-and-chiefly-when-religion/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Remorse, the fatal egg that pleasure laid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/remorse-the-fatal-egg-that-pleasure-laid/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [“When we don't pray, we quit the fight. Prayer keeps the Christian's armor bright. And Satan trembles when he sees. The weakest saint upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/when-we-don-t-pray-we-quit-the-fight-prayer-keeps-the-christian-s/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [But animated nature sweeter still, to soothe and satisfy the human ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/but-animated-nature-sweeter-still-to-soothe-and-satisfy-the-human-ear/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [A fretful temper will divide the closest knot that may be tied, by ceaseless sharp corrosion; a temper passionate and fierce may suddenly your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/a-fretful-temper-will-divide-the-closest-knot-that-may-be-tied-by/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [Ten thousand casks, Forever dribbling out their base contents, Touch'd by the Midas finger of the state, Bleed gold for ministers to sport away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/ten-thousand-casks-forever-dribbling-out-their-base-contents-touch-d/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) > [The art of poetry is to touch the passions, and its duty to lead them on the side of virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/the-art-of-poetry-is-to-touch-the-passions-and-its-duty-to-lead-them/) [William Cowper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) [Explore all 371 William Cowper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/) ## More Criticism quotes > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I don't mind positive criticism, but when it is negative and personal, it is quite hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/i-don-t-mind-positive-criticism-but-when-it-is-negative-and-personal/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Lots of relationships fail because we spend more time pointing out each other's mistakes and not enough time enjoying each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-relationships-fail-because-we-spend-more-time-pointing-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [People believe that criticism should be objective, whatever that means, but I really don't understand what people mean by that. I guess if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/people-believe-that-criticism-should-be-objective-whatever-that-means/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I welcome criticism. I come from a - I wouldn't say mean, but you've got to have tough skin to be in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/i-welcome-criticism-i-come-from-a-i-wouldn-t-say-mean-but-you-ve-got/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Browse all 3,954 Criticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If the world like it not, so much the worse for them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Cowper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-worse-for-them/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-worse-for-them/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/william-cowper-779_criticism_if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-wor_280048.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/william-cowper-779_criticism_if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-wor_280048.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d45/william-cowper-779_criticism_if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-wor_280048.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the world like it not, so much the worse for them.” — William Cowper", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Cowper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cowper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If the world like it not,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-worse-for-them/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cowper/if-the-world-like-it-not-so-much-the-worse-for-them/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```